As we speak, the Australian bus and coach industry is in a period of great change. While many factors are involved in this evolution, nothing compares to the current focus on the zero-emissions transition for bus and coach operators all over the country.
Goals to completely decarbonise bus and coach fleets once hovered on the horizon, yet now they loom closer than ever, with the start of some state transitions beginning this year.
So why is the switch to zero-emissions bus and coach technology lagging behind expected targets and the efforts of other nations?
As the managing director of major Victorian operator Warrnambool Bus and the chair of the Bus Industry Confederation’s (BIC) Zero Emission Bus Committee, Stephen Lucas is one of many currently trying to put together the complex puzzle of transitioning to a more sustainable vehicle fleet.
He says the numerous challenges facing the infrastructure behind this technology is causing the transition to be slower than many had hoped.
“There’s currently a lot of complications involved in introducing infrastructure for running zero-emissions buses and coaches,” Lucas told ABC.
“My current message to operators is to not enter into this space thinking it’s going to be easy to do.
“It’s really complicated – although it’s technically feasible, it has a lot of moving parts. Operators must make sure they clearly understand the downside of the different technologies and their associated costs with the added infrastructure and processes required.”
When asked what main challenges are rearing their heads in operators’ quests to redesign depots for zero-emissions infrastructure, Lucas can reel off enough to cover more fingers than he has. Whether it be costs, space, supply or policy, there’s enough issues to make most operators scratch their head and wonder why they should go through this ordeal.
The main gripe that Lucas has with the current status of the zero-emissions transition in Australia is the lack of policy around green power and the infrastructure that will be needed.
“The biggest challenge we face is changing the way we do things to deal with this different infrastructure,” Lucas says.
“For example, with battery electric buses we have to source green power, install it, potentially store it and perhaps generate it. We then have to use it to charge our buses using expensive infrastructure.
“All of this we’ve never done before and the provision and cost of power can be complex and expensive.”
When it comes to hydrogen fuel-cell infrastructure, Lucas says the green power supply challenge intensifies. Not only will operators need to store a high-pressure gas within their depots, they’ll have to use power to generate it, cool it, dispense it and compress it.
He says all of these requirements add a massive demand for green electrical power that doesn’t currently exist for companies. A key part of this additional burden is the power needed to generate hydrogen and the electrical infrastructure needed in bus and coach depots.
“As we move away from coal-fired and gas-fired power stations, we’ll have to be transporting a lot of new green power around the country,” Lucas says.
“I’m not quite sure how we’re going to do that and we need clear energy policy to give us the confidence that the transition will be possible.”
Lucas says the demands on completely transitioning vehicle fleets are also too much for many operators, particularly when the vehicle technology isn’t readily available at the numbers required. He wants Australian governments to instead consider biodiesel and hybrid technology to make the transition easier and more gradual in the meantime.
Although these problems will hit both electric and hydrogen infrastructure hard, Lucas says battery electric vehicles will be easier to initially transition to because the power is self-contained and the technology is currently more available than hydrogen. As we speak, Lucas says hydrogen is expensive, while electricity is easier to access at a lower cost.
In wider Victoria, Chris Lowe is well aware of the obstacles facing many operators. The Bus Association Victoria (BusVic) executive director says the differing zero-emissions targets in each Australian jurisdiction are only confusing operators more.
“The issues with transitioning a fleet from diesel to zero-emissions are voluminous,” Lowe told ABC. “Each state or territory has a different timeline for when they want to be renewable by.”
Lowe says operators are also asking who is going to foot the bill for these expensive depot redesigns, as well as the rising power bill caused by a zero-emissions bus switch.
He says mechanics and servicing staff will have to be retrained to work on zero-emissions vehicles and the leadership team will spend countless hours drawing plans for new depots.
Lowe, much like Lucas, has many questions for policy makers regarding these issues.
Where will these depot conversions start – with big metro depots or with the regional sites? Where are all of the new buses coming from?
Given the technology is advancing so rapidly, how can the industry be sure that what is purchased will still be fit for purpose in 15 years’ time?
Lowe warns that operating both diesel and zero-emissions buses simultaneously for a good number of years is something operators will need to give lots of thought to, as the budget is tight and replacing all existing fleet within 10 or 15 years is going to be very difficult to achieve. Furthermore, who will help fund the massive fleet orders required to transition companies all at once?
These answers will also have a direct impact on government contracts. If governments want to nationalise these new zero-emissions bus fleets, operators will have to re-negotiate contracts.
In Victoria, Lowe says the government is working on a draft transitioning to zero-emissions bus plan that will soon be released for public consultation. Lowe and BusVic have already gone through this process. They have worked with Monash University to devise guides that assist operators with the transition to zero-emissions. These handbooks for operators have become a valuable resource for the state’s bus companies. Lowe eagerly awaits the results of the Victorian government’s version on this topic.
“We’ve made a small contribution to this plan as it’ll give some insights into what the government expects for the transition regarding infrastructure,” he says.
“We look forward to seeing how the transition will be managed.”
As an operator and leader of BIC’s Zero Emission Bus Committee, Lucas wants to see the federal government take the lead on energy policy.
He hopes federal policies can open the door to accessing more green power for depots around Australia, and that from there, operators are able to gain the experience and understanding needed to finalise power purchase agreements and order enough vehicles to hit zero-emissions targets.
Lucas credits federal government agencies like the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) for its funding packages for operators currently looking to transition to zero-emissions fleets. To put it simply, ARENA funding bridges the gap between what operators have to additionally pay for zero-emissions operations compared to what they had to pay to maintain diesel depots.
Although there’s plenty of hope for what the bus and coach industry can do to lead the zero-emissions charge in the transport sector, Lucas says more bonuses like the ARENA funding program are needed to guide operators forward towards a greener future.
“We’re in a really interesting spot where the industry is in an ideal position to be an exemplar of transitioning to zero-emissions power,” he says.
“To take advantage of that, we need a lot of support from local, state and federal governments with not just money, but also approvals.
“The energy policy and power source debate is the single biggest impediment to the zero-emissions transition, so we need this to be fixed so we can embrace the change.”